


Through Time and Space: Season 4

by goingtothetardis



Series: Through Time and Space [4]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, Astrid POV, Canonical Character Death, Dimension-Hopping Rose, Donna gets a room on the TARDIS, Episode: 2007 Xmas Voyage of the Damned, Episode: s04e01 Partners in Crime, Episode: s04e02 The Fires of Pompeii, F/M, Friendship, Interludes with Rose, Introspection, Loneliness, References to Rose Tyler, donna pov
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2020-07-31 10:09:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20113387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goingtothetardis/pseuds/goingtothetardis
Summary: A collection of drabbles and ficlets through all of Season 4 of Doctor Who/RTD-era Who.Not a season rewrite.





	1. Voyage of the Damned

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I'm back with the 4th installment of this series/project! I've been wanting to get started with it for a while, but my muse has been very fickle this year.
> 
> As with the other seasons I've done for this project, this fic will eventually be tagged Ten/Rose (Doctor/Rose), as they are my ship, and with Donna along for the journey, we all know she won't let Rose be forgotten. That being said, I hope to focus mostly on Donna, Ten, and their friendship during the in-between moments. I've considered doing some dimension hopping Rose chapters as well, but we shall see, we shall see. Let me get the first chapter started first. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this season! Thanks for following along so far!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set during 'Voyage of the Damned.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really considered all my options for this particular episode, and I kept coming back to Astrid in this moment. She wanted so much and carried so much joy, but because she sacrificed so much, and I wanted to giver her one last... bit of happiness. A taste of the future she didn't get to experience. 
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Thanks to perfectlyrose and SelenaTerna for looking this over. ❤

It hits her, suddenly, that the only way to defeat Max Capricorn is to push him off the ledge completely. And the only way to do that is to run him off with the forklift at full speed. 

Sure, maybe in another timeline, or another handful of minutes, she’d be able to find another way. But right now, in this moment, it’s the only way she can see out of this mess. And above all others, the Doctor  _ must stay alive. _ He’s the only one who can save the ship from crashing into the beautiful planet below. 

Astrid turns to look at the Doctor, attempting to convey an apology to him as he struggles against the host. Their eyes meet, and her heart aches at the wide-eyed desperation she finds in his. 

Resolutely, however, she returns her attention to the forklift and presses down on the accelerator as the screams of both the Doctor and Max fade into a dull hum. Before fear bests her, she crashes through the barrier and flies over the edge toward the nuclear engine waiting at the bottom of the ship. 

Astrid cries out as her body forcefully ejects from the forklift. Twisting her body away from the fire below, she looks up toward the Doctor, who leans over the edge of the deck, his arm outstretched toward hers. 

It’s true, what they say, about one’s life flashing before their eyes moments before death. But what Astrid sees now as she rushes ever downward, her gaze locked on the Doctor’s, isn’t an endless cycle of her predictably boring life of servitude. No, what she sees is a life full of possibility and adventure, traveling the universe with the Doctor and his strange blue box. For a few short moments, she’d had freedom within her grasp, and she holds on tight to that lost future as heat folds in around her and she drifts off to nevermore. 

* * *

Before the flames consume her, there’s a faint tug in her belly. 

She’s falling. 

Falling. 

And yet she’s not. 

Barely held together. 

Stardust. 

.

.

.

Freedom. 

.

.

. 

Flying.


	2. Partners in Crime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set during and after 'Partners in Crime'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends! Here's my contribution for this delightful episode. I decided to focus on a few different moments. The beginning and end sections are in the Doctor's POV, and the middle bit, one I like to think about a lot, is in Donna's POV. It's one of many ways this could have gone, so I hope you enjoy it! 
> 
> Thanks to Hellostarlight20 for the quick read through!

“Oh, fascinating. Seems to be a bio-flip digital stitch, specifically for–” the Doctor looks up from the magnifying glass, looking for a companion with whom to share this fascinating discovery. 

Only the gentle whoosh of the time rotor answers him, the solitary sound sound a painfully stark reminder of his current solo travel status. 

The Doctor, still hunched over the console, pauses for a moment before standing up with a casual sniff. Shoving his free hand into his pocket, he attempts – and fails – to avoid the sense of loneliness that threatens to crush in around him. He stares at the rotor, clenching his jaw, thankful for his one constant companion throughout his long life.

His much too long life. 

After several long moments, he sighs. He really should get back to figuring out the mystery at Adipose Industries. If nothing else, saving the Earth from what appears to be another alien invasion will be just the thing he needs to get him away from these dark, lonely thoughts. 

* * *

After the TARDIS door closes, Donna follows the Doctor up the ramp and back to the console. He pushes a few buttons, turns a round knob, and then flicks a lever, which sends the center column whooshing to life. Hanging back by the edge of the ratty jump seat, she exhales deeply as the implication of what she’s just done hits her rather suddenly. 

At her sigh, the Doctor pushes away from the console and turns to face her, folding his arms across his chest. “D’you want to go home?” he asks, a slight edge of vulnerability audible in his voice. 

It’s enough to erase the last of Donna’s doubts. “Nah,” she answers brightly. “But I will need a place to put all my things. I’m assuming there’s a room for me somewhere on this ship of yours?”

The Doctor blinks, his forehead furrowing. “I’m not a bloody space hotel, you know.”

“If you think I’m sleeping on this ruddy bench, you’ve got another one coming, Spaceman. Don’t you ever sleep? Surely you’ve got your own room. I don’t see a loo in here, either. Speaking of which, do you even  _ use _ a loo?” Donna contemplates her latest thought, thinking about Time Lords and their personal habits. “Either way, I’m  _ positive _ you don’t want my things cluttering this room.” She smirks to herself when the Doctor’s eyes widen in alarm at the barrage of her thoughts and questions.

“Ah, no, absolutely not.” The Doctor considers for a moment before continuing. “The TARDIS assures me she’s got the perfect room for you.” 

“Wait, the TARDIS… She’s a  _ she? _ She  _ talks _ to you?!” This latest piece of information temporarily distracts Donna from her original request. 

The Doctor rolls his eyes as he bends to pick up Donna’s hat box and a rolling case. “Yes, my ship is a sentient being that travels through time and space. And I call her a she, because–”

Donna cuts him off mid-sentence. “Are you sure you want to finish that thought, Time Lord?”

The center column whooshes up and down several times in what Donna assumes is some expression of amusement. The Doctor’s mouth falls open in surprise before he snaps his jaw closed. 

“As I was saying,” he continues loudly, ignoring Donna and her ribbing, “I’ll take you to your room.”

“That’s better,” Donna mutters under her breath, moving to pick up the rest of her travel cases. 

Following the Doctor out of the console room, she quickly loses her way as he leads her from one corridor to another, turning right, then left, past countless doors and  _ was that just a paradise-like pool?? _ Finally, the Doctor stops in front of a door that matches the coral texture of the rest of the ship. 

Pushing a button, the door slides open, and he gestures widely for Donna to step inside first. 

She strides past him, and– Her jaw drops. “You’re serious?” she asks, her eyes spanning the room. It’s enormous, but also somehow cozy in appearance, with a large double bed, a fireplace complete with a squat, cushy sofa sitting in front of it, a television easily viewable from her bed, plenty of drawers for clothes, hooks for hats and bags, and… the largest ensuite (bathtub and shower included) and walk in closet she’s ever seen! 

Turning to look at the Doctor, it’s clear he’s a bit puzzled by her room. A hand runs through his hair before tugging on his ear. “Well, I guess she likes you,” he says. 

“What’s wrong?” Donna asks, planting a hand at her waist. 

“Well,” the Doctor shuffles his feet, looking vaguely uncomfortable, “Martha only got a small room. Looked like a budget motel. You and Ro–” He stops, collecting himself. “I hope you like it.”

Donna decides not to press the Doctor’s slip. “It’s bloody  _ brilliant. _ ” She walks to the wall and pats it. “Thanks, dear. You know what a woman needs.” 

She walks further inside the room and drops the rest of her bags on the floor. Already the room – the ship – feels comfortable, something like home, only without her nagging mother. Butterflies of excitement fill her belly and she turns to the Doctor. 

“How about you give me a tour before I turn in for the night?” She’d love to explore more of the ship, and she’s not quite ready for bed yet. 

The Doctor brightens considerably at her suggestion. “There’s one thing you need to know about traveling on the TARDIS, Donna. There’s no morning or night…”

The sound of his voice guides her out of the room and down the corridor before she engages him with an argument for the case of needing to maintain a circadian rhythm in space.

* * *

The Doctor sits on the jump seat, his long legs stretched in front of him to prop on the edge of the console. He’s long since left Donna to get settled in her room, and he’d returned to the console room to tinker and think.

Discovering Donna at Adipose Industries had been a wonderful surprise, as had her not-so-subtle invitation to accept the offer of travel he’d made at their first meeting. So much has happened since then. The deep ache of losing Rose still burns just as acutely in his hearts, but he’s also lived years without her, now, and has experienced traumas he’s only too relieved Rose hadn’t been around to experience. 

His time with Martha had been… a disaster. He sighs, running his hands down his face. Brilliant Martha. He’d been relieved when she’d acknowledged her worth and had made the decision herself to leave him. She deserved far more in her life than a broken Lord of Time. He hopes the recommendation he’d given to U.N.I.T. in the wake of the mess with the Master will serve her well. 

But now… Now there’s Donna. She’d been the one to encounter him at one of his lowest points after losing Rose, and she’s been loyal to him along the way, providing him with the perfect sort of partnership and companionship he’s been craving. Friendship, and nothing more. Even after just two adventures with the woman, he senses a special sort of kinship between them, and his time sense buzzes at the possibilities of future adventures. 

Ever since the Master and the year that never was, his mind has been restless and unsettled. An immense guilt at the burdens he’d placed on Martha and her family… and Jack… weighs him down. The TARDIS’s reaction to Donna’s presence only adds further conflict to his mind. It’s clear that as she did with Rose, his ship has taken a certain affinity to his newest companion. He’d only once glimpsed the inside of Martha’s room, and it had been sterile and bland compared to what he’d seen of Rose and Donna’s rooms. Guilt nudges the edges of his conscience. 

The Doctor sighs and allows the rhythmic comfort of the time rotor to lull him into a semi-conscious state. Perhaps it’s time to move on… again… and to make an attempt to free himself of the guilt that binds him so tightly to every action he makes.

Perhaps. 


	3. Interlude One: Dimension Hopping Rose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief moment with Rose Tyler as she dimension hops through the universes, looking for the Doctor. Interlude one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two updates in one day? Whaaaaaaat?
> 
> I originally did not plan these interludes when I first started thinking about this project. I'm only planning on adding them when we see Rose pop up in season 4, so there won't be more than one or two more, as far as I can remember. I'm thinking probably two more. 
> 
> I adore writing Rose, especially dimension hopping Rose, because it is a lot of fun to imagine what she went through trying to get back to the Doctor. 
> 
> So enjoy these little moments! I'd love to know what you think!

“Listen, there is this woman that's going to come along. A tall blond woman called Sylvia. Tell her that bin there, all right? It'll all make sense. That bin there,” the red headed women says in a rush, pointing to a bin on the corner, before running off just as quickly as she’d appeared. 

Rose turns back toward the barricade and slumps in frustration, the deep ache of disappointment churning her stomach once again. With one last sweeping glance, she turns to walk away, waiting for Torchwood to pull her back through the Void. 

* * *

“Rose!” Mickey’s footsteps run to the edge of the containment arc, and she pauses for a moment on her hands and knees, waiting for the usual bout of nausea to pass. Once the system powers down, he sprints inside and kneels beside her. “Did it work?”

With a deep breath, Rose swallows back a wave of jumbled emotions. The jumps always leave her depleted and emotionally rocky. “Yeah, it’s the right universe. I was right. The key works.”

“Wooooo!” Mickey pumps his fist in the air, but his expression falters when he catches a glimpse of Rose’s face. “But you didn’t find him.”

“He was  _ there, _ Micks. I know he was. This woman was using humans to breed Adipose babies on Earth. What I could find out from the authorities, there were a few others involved, someone who helped bring down the whole operation. It had the Doctor’s fingerprints all over it. But I was too late.” Rose’s voice cracks, and she bites her tongue, willing the crushing sense of loss away. 

“How do you know it was the right universe?” Mickey asks. 

Rose meets her friend’s concerned gaze. “It felt right. Out of all the other universes I’ve been to, that one, and only that universe felt right. Like my skin settled into place, like I could breathe properly again for the first time in years. Plus, the TARDIS key… It wasn’t cold anymore, not like it is here.” 

No, in this universe, the place she’d landed after Pete had saved her from the Void all those years ago, her key feels ice cold all the time, no matter how long she holds it in her hands. 

“I thought I’d be able to sense the TARDIS if she was nearby, but… I don’t know,” her voice breaks into a whisper, and Rose takes several deep breaths to settle her thoughts. “We’re so close, Mickey. I know it. Now that we’ve got the key to the right universe, we have to figure out how to dial into the proper TARDIS timeline it belongs to.”

“Oh yeah, easy peasy,” Mickey laughs with a carefree air, nudging Rose with an elbow to get a smile out of her. “It’ll be a breeze, no worries. Next week, you’ll be sitting with the Doctor on Raxacor-whatever sipping martinis out of coconuts, watching spaceships dock at the landing pad.”

Rose cracks a small grin and allows herself a few minutes to play along with Mickey. “After we save the multi-verse first, yeah? Then martinis, but not on Raxacoricofallipatorious.” She shudders with the memories of the family Slitheen. “Maybe a nice resort planet somewhere.”

“Right, of course.” Mickey grins, then sobers and takes Rose’s hand. “We’ll get you back, Rose. We’ve come so far, and the Doctor’s the one who said it was impossible. I know how much you love that word.” He smirks.

A tear slips down Rose’s cheek as she leans over to embrace her friend. “Thanks, Mickey. I don’t know what I’d’ve done without you, Jake, and the rest of the team.”

“You would’ve been amazing, no matter what. Now, let’s go prove a certain Time Lord git wrong and send you home.” Mickey untangles himself from Rose and walks to mission control, already shouting out changes they need to make to the jump configurations. 

_ I’m coming for you, Doctor,  _ Rose thinks, before gathering herself and heading to mission recovery.  _ I’m coming home.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up, POMPEII.


	4. The Fires of Pompeii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set during 'The Fires of Pompeii'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's only been...almost 6 months. 😅
> 
> I've been on holiday the last week and spent some time brainstorming this chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it!
> 
> I wish I could say it won't be another 6 months until the next update, but the muse does what it wants these days.
> 
> Many thanks to those of you still reading this project of mine! 
> 
> Unbeta'd.

Donna waits anxiously at the top of the ramp as the Doctor ushers in Caecilius and his family before slamming the door behind him. She catches Evelina when the girl trips at the top of the ramp and steadies her through the long moments fraught with the lingering panic of survival. Her heart hammers with adrenaline filled relief at the sight of the family onboard. And  _ safe. _

“What wonder is this?” Metella gasps, looking around in disbelieving awe as she reaches the top of the ramp. 

Quintus, his face pale with shock, grips the railing. “This blue box. It is...the outside is smaller than the inside. How is such a thing possible?”

“Ah, it’s nothing but a trick of the Time Lords,” the Doctor answers, the hardness of his features at odds with the breezy nonchalance of his tone. “Bigger on the inside! Short for dimensionally transcendental. Brilliant, isn’t she?” He waves his arms around the console room before moving to the console and flipping switches and cranking the lever to send the ship into flight.

Donna snorts at the blank confusion on the faces of the Caecilius family. The Doctor’s manic energy as a cover for his own personal angst never fails to befuddle the general population. “Come on, now,” she says, her words gentle as she moves between the family members. “Have a seat while the Doctor takes us away from Pompeii. At the very least, you’ll want to hold on. He’s a rubbish driver.”

“Oi!” the Doctor yells through his dance around the console. Donna bites back a smirk. 

“What do you mean ‘take us away?’” Caecilius asks. “Will we not all be buried alive by this...by this...mountain of fire and death?”

Shaking her head, Donna grabs Metella’s hand to keep her from falling as the TARDIS tips precariously to the side. “The Doctor saved you, your family. He couldn’t save everyone, but he came back for you.”

Within moments, the TARDIS lands with a shudder. “There we go! Quick hop through space, and we’re out of the blast zone!” The Doctor spins on his heel and jogs down the ramp without a backward glance, gesturing for the others to follow. 

Evelina and her mother walk after the Doctor, and Caecilius quickly follows. Donna waits for Quintus as he gazes around the console room, sharp curiosity evident in his eyes. “I shall never see another wonder such as this. It fills me with such a hunger to learn about such things,” he says. 

“Well, then,” Donna says with a smile, “thank the Doctor for saving your life by going to school and never stop learning. He never stops, that man. He’s always wanting to know more about the world around him.” She figures it’s an appropriate way to encourage the boy to a lifetime of learning and discovery. 

“I can see why.” Quintus brushes his fingers over the console, eliciting a murmured pulse from the center column, and his eyes widen. “Let us join my family,” he says, and with one last furtive look around the room, he walks out of the TARDIS and into his future. 

Donna hangs back a moment longer, blinking back tears as the memories of the last few hours tumble through her mind. One family saved. One of thousands. Pompeii had always been an ancient event in the annals of history, but now she’s  _ living _ it in  _ her _ present. Mad, this life with the Doctor. Mad and terrible and heart wrenching...and brilliant. With a deep breath, she smiles to herself and follows everyone out of the TARDIS. 

**Author's Note:**

> Find me at goingtothetardis.tumblr.com!


End file.
